A problem with self-service devices, such as cash terminals and automatic teller machines, is that they are not only installed in the lobby of, say, banks, but that they may also be installed in a place which is unprotected from the weather. In such a case, the device is exposed to extreme climatic conditions, such as rain, snow, cold and strong sunshine. Mechanical assemblies that must withstand such extremes both statically and kinematically are the locking means which releases or covers the dispensing gate and the locking means for the gate through which notes, cheques and the like are deposited.
Such units must be rain water repellent; must not freeze up; and must function even when the locking means becomes blocked by the formation of ice or as a result of vandalism. Existing cash terminals use locking means which do not meet the preceding requirements satisfactorily.
One prior art design comprises, for instance, a slotted cylinder which is supported on a plate provided with a slot. In the open position, currency is fed from the outside through a slot in the outer wall and an aligned slot in the cylinder. Water may enter through top and bottom joints between the cylinder and the outer wall. If a slot of relatively small size is used, serious problems may occur in high temperature ranges. A further disadvantage of this kind of seal is that the mechanism freezes up rapidly in the winter. Another serious disadvantage is that the mechanism may be blocked or jammed by inserted objects.
Another prior art design includes a plate, behind which a slide is arranged which, through the action of a gear and pinion, is shifted by a motor to close or release an opening in the plate. In this case the bottom joint between the slide and the outer plate is liable to cause problems, since it is here that water may enter or ice form. Even if the ice is smashed as the flap is opened by a suitably strong motor, fresh ice frequently forms when the flap is open, preventing it from closing reliably. The functioning of this design may be disrupted by objects jammed between the plate and slide as a result of vandalism.
It is an object of the present invention to design a locking means for an automatic teller machine such that the preceding problems are eliminated, and to substantially avoid and preclude the adverse effects produced by water, the formation of ice and jammed objects.